Some vehicles are meant to be practical, but then, some are just meant to be fun. And sometimes, that fun can arrive in the smallest packages.

That’s the Lexus IS sedan. It comes in three models, and while they’re all physically the same size, what’s under the hood makes the difference. The two upper-line levels are V6-powered: the IS 300 with 255 horsepower, and the IS 350 and its 306 horses. But having driven all three back-to-back, my preference is the four-cylinder IS 200t, the overall winner for its great combination of performance, balance, weight and handling.

The IS 200t makes just 241 horsepower, but it twists out more torque than the 300, and it peaks sooner as well. The V6 models use a six-speed automatic, while the turbo four hooks to an eight-speed autobox. No stick shift is available, but there are wheel-mounted paddles for sequentially shifting the transmission in manual mode.

The IS 200t is also rear-wheel-drive only, while the V6 models come exclusively with all-wheel drive. Power to all tires is a popular choice in Canada, but the 200t weighs some 70 kilograms less than the other two. Less weight equals more nimble equals more fun.

2017 Lexus IS 200t

Jil McIntosh, Driving

2017 Lexus IS 200t

Jil McIntosh, Driving

2017 Lexus IS 200t

Jil McIntosh, Driving

2017 Lexus IS 200t

Jil McIntosh, Driving

2017 Lexus IS 200t

Jil McIntosh, Driving

2017 Lexus IS 200t

Jil McIntosh, Driving

2017 Lexus IS 200t

Jil McIntosh, Driving

2017 Lexus IS 200t

Jil McIntosh, Driving

2017 Lexus IS 200t

Jil McIntosh, Driving

2017 Lexus IS 200t

Jil McIntosh, Driving

And nimble this is. Lexus has traditionally been more about coddled luxury than driver engagement, but the IS goes in a different direction. It feels quick, once you’ve set the drive mode dial to Sport, since the transmission shifts a bit sluggishly in the other choices of Normal or Eco. The steering is quick and precise, with a very tight turning circle and a well-planted, settled smoothness around sharp curves. But it’s not so sporty that it’s a handful at lower speeds, and while the ride is firm, it’s not uncomfortably stiff.

It’s billed as a five-seater, but it’s realistically aimed at four, since the driveline tunnel is so high that the middle seat is barely usable. The cabin is tight overall, and headroom may be an issue for taller occupants.

Naturally, the smallest engine also comes with the lowest price tag. The IS 200t starts at $40,150, against $49,950 for the 300 and $53,350 for the more-powerful IS 350.

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But there’s also a lot missing on the 200t, which is surprising given the Lexus badge. A single option is available for it, the F Sport Series 1 package, which added $4,800 to my tester. While it sounds like a performance pack, it’s mostly trim, adding staggered 18-inch wheels, three-spoke steering wheel, heated and ventilated sport seats, auto-dimming mirrors, sunroof, and active sound control, which broadcasts an engine-growl sound into the cabin when activated.

But it also adds some items that I thought would have been standard, such as a backup camera and blind spot monitoring system. An extra-charge rearview camera, when you get one as basic equipment on the cheapest Toyota Yaris? And while navigation is available on the IS 300, and standard on the 350, it can’t be added to the 200t at all. I can get it on a Corolla, but not on a Lexus?

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That said, the F Sport package adds a cool instrument cluster borrowed from the LFA supercar. The digital tachometer and speedometer are contained in a metallic ring that sits in the middle of the cluster when the car’s in Normal or Eco. But when you put it in Sport mode, the dial slides across—not digitally, but actually moves—to open up a larger screen beside it, which displays a boost gauge or other information. It’s a gimmick, but it’s a neat one.

Lexus is billing the 2017 IS as “transformed,” but the changes from 2016 are all cosmetic, including new front and rear lights, revised bumper with larger intakes, and a bit more pinch to the spindle grille – styling being an eye-of-beholder thing, but I’ve never warmed up to that gaping maw in front. The rear’s much better, with shapely taillights sweeping down to a body line that continues below the wheel opening and into the rocker panel.

There are a few interior changes to the centre stack and console, but overall, there’s a lot more hard plastic than I would have expected for the Lexus badge, while the dash design, with its “stacks” of rounded panels, looks like it would have been more at home in the defunct and funkier Scion brand.

The infotainment tablet-style screen sits high, but with a hood over top for easy viewing on sunny days. It’s operated by a dial-and-button controller on the console, but while it doesn’t have as many functions as the systems on its pricier siblings, it also doesn’t have Lexus’ awful Remote Touch control system, which uses a too-sensitive mouse-style joystick that’s difficult to use if you’re not on a glass-smooth road.

The IS 200t’s starting price runs about mid-pack with competitors such as BMW’s 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz’s C-Class, Cadillac’s ATS, Audi A4, and Infiniti Q50, but there are more than a few items that have to be added to the Lexus – if they’re even available – to give more of an apples-to-apples comparison. Still, taken on its own merits, the IS is a fun little sports sedan that loves to be driven. And that’s even more evident when you opt for the baby of the bunch.